Red Bull Battle Grounds New York: What To Watch For
By Nick Tylwalk
While most people in the United States are going to be using this weekend to get ready for Thanksgiving, the eyes of the eSports world will be focused on the Hammerstein Ballroom in New York City. That’s because the famous Manhattan venue is playing host to Red Bull Battle Grounds New York, where eight of the world’s best “StarCraft II” players will battle it out on November 23 and 24 for $50,000 in prize money.
The field is one that could legitimately be called the best of the best. It includes the current “StarCraft II” World Championship Series king, Kim “sOs” Yoo Jin, along with last year’s Red Bull Battle Grounds winner and runner-up, two Red Bull Training Grounds winners, and several players who battled their way in through extremely competitive online qualifiers.
Split into two groups of four, the players will take part in a best-of-three, double elimination format that will eliminate half the field on the first day of the event. The top two players in each group will go through to Sunday to determine who takes the Red Bull Battle Grounds title and the lion’s share of the prize pool.
Adding to the intrigue is the fact that the matches will take place on seven fan-created maps that will test the players’ ability to adapt to non-standard conditions. One even has lava that floods the low ground every five minutes, destroying any units it touches.
Need more info on what’s shaping up to be an explosive weekend of top level “StarCraft II” action? Read on for all of the details, and be sure to come back to GameSided this weekend for livestreams of both days of competition.
Red Bull Battle Grounds Viewer’s Guide
What: Red Bull Battle Grounds is a professional “StarCraft II” tournament featuring eight of the world’s best players and a prize pool of $50,000
Where: Hammerstein Ballroom, located in New York City at 311 W. 34th St. between 8th and 9th Ave.
When: Saturday, November 23 and Sunday, November 24; doors open at noon and the show begins at 1 pm ET on both days
Ticket info: One-day passes start at $30 (plus fees), two-day passes at $43 and are available through Ticketmaster
Who’s playing:
GROUP A:
- “Bomber” (real name: Choi Ji Sung), Korea, Red Bull Battle Grounds 2012 runner-up
- “Scarlett” (real name: Sasha Hostyn), Canada, Red Bull North America Online Qualifier 2013 winner
- “PartinG” (real name: Won Lee Sak), Korea, Red Bull TeamLiquid Map Qualifier 2013 winner
- “Golden” (real name: Jo Myeong Hwan), Korea, Red Bull Training Grounds Santa Monica 2013 winner
GROUP B:
- “MC” (real name: Jang Min Chul), Korea, Red Bull Battle Grounds 2012 winner
- “Snute” (real name: Jens Aasgaard), Norway, Red Bull Training Grounds Orlando 2013 winner
- “sOs” (real name: Kim Yoo Jin), Korea, Blizzard WCS 2013 winner
- “HyuN” (real name: Ko Seok Hyun), Korea, Red Bull Global Online Qualifier 2013 winner
Who’s casting:
- Sean “Day[9]” Plott
- Marcus “djWHEAT” Graham
- Ben “MrBitter” Nichol
- Jon “TotalBiscuit” Bain
Where to watch: Right here at GameSided.com, at Twitch, and at various places around the internet
Be sure to check back tomorrow for an interview with prominent eSports caster Marcus “djWHEAT” Graham, and this weekend for livestreams of both days of competition.